Art&Copy: Summarised Story

George Lois

Art & Copy is an American documentary that traces the creative advertising revolution back in the 1960´s where for the first time Art Directors and Copywriters worked together as a team. In the documentary we are introduced to numerous American advertising creatives that each had their own contribution to the discipline. One persons story that interested me was George Lois. I found him interesting because had a passion for the industry, he also created big ideas that he was not afraid off. He was also a person that did not hold back on his opinions. 

George Lois is an American art director, designer and author. He is well known for designing over 92 covers for Esquire magazine from 1962 to 1972. George Lois was born in New York City on June 26th, 1931. He grew up as a child of Greek immigrants in a rather rough racist area which he claims lead him to have a rougher approach with his clients. He wants to really sell his clients a good BIG IDEA, a BIG IDEA that will make them rich. He first worked for Reba Sochis until he six months later joined the army to fight in the Korean war. After this he worked for the advertising and promotions department at CBS. In 1959 he was hired by the advertising agency DDB, Doyle Dane Bernbach and worked there for a year. Later he was recruited by Fred Papert and Julian Koenig to form the paper named Papert Koenig Lois in 1960. PKL became the very first advertising agency to go public. There is controversy towards George Lois. He has multiple times been accused of taking credit for others ideas and exaggerated his involvement in projects. 

"In my instance, the greatest predator of my work was my one-time partner George Lois, who is a most heralded and talented art director/designer, and his talent is only exceeded by his omnivorous ego. So where it once would've been accepted that the word would be 'we' did it, regardless of who originated the work, the word 'we' evaporated from George's vocabulary and it became 'my.'" - Julian Koenig

How did George Lois send Tommy Hilfiger to fame? 

The young designer Tommy Hilfiger was unknown until George Lois released a campaign that would soon help the brand become the most famous and successful designer brand in the world. The ad challenged the reader with a claim. That the then unknown brand was as great as the other well known designer houses as Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein and other brands. No one knew who Tommy Hilfiger was. The brand became instantly famous and got a lot of national publicity. The campaign was a self- fulfilling prophecy. 

George Lois said to Tommy Hilfiger that he could keep making campaigns showing models wearing the clothes, and keep doing that for years and years or he could do something bold and crazy. So the idea of comparing Tommy Hilfiger to bigger brands was created. At first Tommy was really embarrassed by the campaign George Lois had made because it made Tommy seem big headed. But it was exactly this that gave him the attention in the industry and media. Even though he felt embarrassed  Tommy Hilfiger  knew he now had to live up to the expectations the campaign had created. That made him work even harder and made sure all his clothes was made to perfection.

"My opening ad challenged the reader with an audacious claim. 

Overnight the burning question i town became; Who the hell is T_ _ _ _H_ _ _ _ _ _ _?"

- George Lois

The advert made by George Lois for the brand Tommy Hilfiger

Reference list:
Art&Copy, Doug Pray (2009)

OUCA401

The Pose

The aim for the lesson was to learn and understand how people present themselves in front of the camera and why we pose the way we do. When we pose we are making ourselves into a photograph.

"In front of the lens, i am at the same time: the one i think i am, the one others think i am, the one he makes use of to exhibit his art" - Barthes, R. (1980)

Joanna Lowry has written about how we "present our identity" in the moment of the pose. We inhabit poses that is expected from us. Poses come natural based on how we grow and live our lives.

"It is when we present ourselves to the camera that we become aware of the need to make ourselves into a picture and to take control of the account of our soul" Lowry, J. (2005)

A trending challenge going around on the internet at the moment is the mannequin challenge, where you get your friends and family to freeze their act and pose while someone walk around and with a film camera moving around the models. This is what the lecture started with so that we could get a further understanding. When we pose in front of a camera we make ourselves into a photograph. We compose ourselves and freeze an act. This turns the image into a text that can be analysed by others.

When photography first was invented in the 1800´s it was normal too sit still and look serious when you where professionally photographed, because any movement would blur the image. Today with the impact of social media people are much more aware of how to present themselves. We constantly take pictures of ourselves and other people, photography has become a disposable digital form. We learn from a young age how to present ourselves in any situation. We also inhabit poses that is expected from us.

"What do i do when i pose for a photograph? I freeze - hence, the mask like, often deathly, expressions of so many photographic portraits. I freeze as if anticipating the still i am about to become; mimicking its opacity, its stillness; photography´s mortification of the flesh" Owens, C (1992:210)

Rineke Dijkstra is a photographer that studied the pose. She wanted to see how people with different cultural backgrounds pose in front the camera. She took photos of different girls on the beach and gave them no other directions than to stand still. The girls still posed as they naturally would for a picture. The images shows how all the girls have learned to pose based on their cultural background.

Other photographers like Richard Avedon and Bettina Von Zwel studied how to "subvert" the pose. That mean they took photos of their model when they did not pay attention. They wanted to capture them before they had the chance to compose themselves.

OUCA401